LANDSCAPES IN TRANSITION - Interventions between theory and design (David Peleman, Dagmar Pelger, Luce Beeckmans, Pieter Uyttenhove) (original) (raw)

2014, Labo S Works 2004-2014. A landscape perspective on urbanism

Rapid processes of urbanization and globalization place society for major changes in land use. This is reflected in the transformation of natural and rural landscapes, peri-urban areas and cities. These urban landscapes in transition are at the core of the research of Labo S (‘Laboratorium Stedenbouw’), a research unit at the Department of Architecture and Urban Planning of Ghent University. The research by Labo S is mainly policy-oriented, supporting the spatial policy of administrations at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. Since Labo S consists of architects, urban designers and urban planners, research by design is the main tool to undergird the development of a spatial policy for the urbanized landscape of a city or a region. As a result of this type of assignments, the continuous interaction between design based research and the construction of a theoretical framework is a the core of the work of Labo S. This will be demonstrated in paper by way of two cases. Thereby the paper attempts to illustrate how the intervention in such an urbanized landscape, which can be considered as a place of common sense or a ‘common good’ on which rest many claims, is in need of both theory and design as two interacting sides of the same coin – urban 1 design – to elaborate a meaningful urban project. That way, this paper elaborates further on what has already been argued by various designers and scholars, namely that the traditional instruments to measure, document, read or interpret the city or urban environment are inadequate to grasp today’s urban 2 reality. This reality of the urban landscape is not one of an eternal continuity, as Secchi argues correctly, but the urbanized 3 landscape is subject to a continuous transition, resulting in an on-going fragmentation. Obviously, this fragmentation affects both the physical space as well as the processes that generate this space. The number of stakeholders, for example in the construction of the countryside, increases drastically – agriculture, tourism, industry, housing, nature – and it becomes ever more complicated to negotiate between all these different claims. A plan, a concept or a list with data is no longer sufficient to describe in a comprehensive way the various processes and interventions that shape today’s landscape. Therefore, the main objective of Labo S is to map, visualize and steer landscapes in transition using innovative strategies and methodologies, with design based research playing a central role. For each assignment Labo S departs from existing spatial processes and dynamics and ambitions to act as intermediary between the various stakeholders. Through design-based research Labo S aims at producing a set of instruments consisting of various scenarios, each showing the spatial implications of certain policy accents. Although Labo S always tries to respond to very context specific questions, this approach of Labo S results in a very flexible outcome leaving a maximal freedom of action and decision-making to the client. By taking a closer look at two of the recent studies of Labo S, this paper aims to elaborate the idea how design and theory work together in establishing an appropriate project in today’s complex environment of urbanized Flanders. Although these two studies differ a lot on the scale level of the territory on which the initial task was defined, the research tools applied by Labo S consistently develop along a red line throughout the studies. By giving brief overview on the commission, the partners involved, the question towards Labo S and the research and design method and last but not least the ways of communicating the results, an overlooking comparison will be enabled in order to summarize the basic theoretical output of the Labo S work on design related research.